Thursday, March 15, 2012

In 2010, Walt Disney Animation Studios produced it's 50th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The well known story of a witch, a prince, a tower and girl with lots of hair was retold with pure genius. Tangled earned $200,821,936 in the USA and Canada and an estimated $389,900,000 in other countries for a worldwide total of $590,721,936!

The movie tangled is my personal favorite animated film, and as you might expect I've seen it dozens of times. What I wan't to do today is respond to a few accusations I've heard people make against this movie; allegations that I believe show the heart of our culture in several ways. Today, we're going to "unbraid" this beautiful story- today I want to make my case for Tangled.

Rapunzel

Purity is an honest heart with nothing to hide...

Not only is this charming character probably the cutest of Walt Disneys creations, but also, I believe her story holds essential Christian truths. Let's take a look...

The tower

I think we've all been in one of these at some point or another. Small towns, poor neighborhoods, low paying jobs, or even overprotective parents. We look around and see four walls and a window with no real room for growth- let alone fun!The first thing that struck me about Rapunzel was her childlike outlook on her surroundings. We, as Christians need to be more like Rapunzel, and embrace what we've been given no matter how hard we have it. In the words of Jesus "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

The world

...but God doesn't always leave us is that tower forever. I remember when I was little, not being allowed to go past either of the speed bumps on our block. I would spend hours riding my bike in circles next to each of those boundaries. Now, I have a car and a drivers license. I can go anywhere I want... but I don't. I don't go out partying, I don't stay out late on holidays, and I always tell my parents when I'll be home. What's my point? If we learn to love the fences God put in place for us (like Rapunzel did), than we'll be ready and able to put up our own fences when He takes the old ones down.Rapunzel, throughout the movie shows no reservation and yet maintains proper restraint. Yes she was deprived her whole life, but she didn't let that stop her from being captivated by new experiences. Yes she was naive, but she was humble, courageous and willing to learn. Yes she was terrified, but no... she did not shy away.Now I know you want to hear about the "mother daughter" relationship... I promise we'll get to that later.

Eugene(Flynn)

Masculinity is made of tough hands, a clean conscience, and readiness to die for what you hold dear...

Okay, let's all just agree right now... this guy is a total Stud! Athletic, funny, tall, good hair; Flynn is the epitome of what just about every guy wants to be. As with Rapunzel, let's look over Flynn and Eugene's roles in this film.

Flynn Rider

My dad has this saying; "wherever you are, be there." He's told me that for as long as I can remember, and it applies here pretty well. One thing that really sets Flynn apart is the fact that he's a step ahead of everyone(at least in the beginning). He's a thief, and a good one. So how does this apply? Remember my dad's advice? God wants his people to work hard, as unto him. The pervasive characteristic with Flynn is that he's not lazy. He is the brains of a three man team that has apparently had a fair amount of success, and his obviously lighthearted yet confidant personality beams with the harvest of hard work... But he's a criminal? So what if he's good at it?

Eugene Fitzherbert

If the story stopped with Flynn he'd be just another hard working criminal, but it doesn't. Eugene was an orphan and had no real life father to look up to, only a character in a book; Flynnigan Rider. He looked up to him so much as to grow up by the same name and talents... only he was little different. Flynnigan Rider wasn't a thief and Flynn Rider was. Boys need fathers to lead them and teach them to lead. An actual flesh and blood father is what God intended but the reality is, we boys will look up to and thus emulate someone whether or not he's a fictional character. Eugene looked up to the good guy, Flynnigan, and inherited almost all of his admirable persona except for one crucial element. Flynn Rider was a thief with no aspirations other than hard work to get himself an island where one could rest and get a good tan(with copious amounts of cash surrounding). However, by meeting Rapunzel he is given sight of what true happiness consists of. Remember guys, crowns and muscles are great, but finding a princess and defending her with your life(by princess and crown I basically mean anything you love or believe in), that's what makes life worth living. So what do we learn from Eugene? Do good, for the right reasons, and do a darn good job!

Monday, November 21, 2011

My youngest brother, Jeb, loves oats in milk with sugar sprinkled on top. Nearly every time he gets hungry he asks me, "can you-can yo... Awex, can you pweez get me some oats, and miwk, and sugar, and a bowl, and a spoon." He's just a little over three and doesn't say much at all, but when he's got a craving he doesn't have any difficulty telling me what it is, no matter how many times I tell him no.

Jesus told his disciples to become like little children. It's clear that to "become" is to come "from" some state or another. So what state are we coming from? Do you remember what the disciples were talking about before Jesus said this? They were discussing who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They were debating over status, something that was very prominent in that time. So why did Jesus tell them to become like little children? In general BC culture children lived under the "seen but not heard" rule with rigid restriction. And yet when jesus came around, they sang openly in the temple and followed close by him without fear of what was culturally prudent. Jesus was telling his disciples to be like that. To love him so deeply that they would never fear or compromise for the sake of their socio economic category. I once read that "Christian humility is not meekly admitting we are nothing, it is submitting to gods will and doing everything he tells us to." Put a four year old alone in a dark room and he cries because it's dark. Put a four year old in a dark room with his daddy and he giggles because it's dark. Children trust and have little reservation about being protected but somewhere between toddler and adult we pick up this notion called "status".

Now let me just say that status is by no means evil, but the fear of status is a very VERY bad thing! What is fear? Fear is saying that you don't trust god with your all. That you think you know better than he does. Essentially fear says that God is not god. Fear of anything but god is the death of faith. If you believe in god, then no one is too cool to be an example to and you're never too old, young, or educated to learn.

In faith there is no fear. In faith there is no pride. In faith we ask god for our daily bread(oats and milk) and know that he will always do what is best.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

so this is what it's like to be on the blogs... I'd nearly forgotten! You see that horrid monster FB has taken up all of my writing/typing time.Be that as it may I am here now and today I thought I would share a small quote from my 2008-2009 journal...

4-28-09"Dear JournalI have often wondered about that most common opening phrase,"dear journal". It almost seems to make assumptions of intimate familiarity, as of one addressing a letter to friend or family. This seems strange to me, for a "Journal" can take no secrets or give any of it's own, unless one put the letters and scribbles of my design as somehow "put to the Journals Memory". Yet, ludicrous as this seems, I shall begin my recall of times past with this most common, doleful, and illogical opening(regardless of it's illogicality, and the implications therein). At the present I am, of course(and quite necessarily) writing in my journal. My location? Well, I am at our house in Eagle Pt. OR. I am comfortably seated in the kitchen, at (of course), as you have probably guessed, the "kitchen table". I am in the chair just northwest of the foot of the table(or left of the end, if one be seated at this point). Whew! Okay, now that I have bored you(My "Dear Journal") with factual, geographical recall, I must need's liven the "rhetorical impartation", if you will, with the chronicling of the significant events of my short life(well at least recent happenings). On the 15th of April I...Were sorry, but the following contents of this journal could not be disclosed the expressed wishes of it's author. Said journal has been labled "Top Secret", until further notice is given...

Monday, March 9, 2009

How do we know that we truly comprehend and understand the whole truth about the incarnation?

Firstly, every thing we believe must be internally present and externally proved. Jesus said that by their fruits you shall know them. If we believe that theft is unethical than we should not steal. I it pure hypocrisy to say we are compassionate Christians whilst we refuse to stop and see if the old lady on the side of the road needs help.That said let us define what the "whole truth" about the incarnation is.When God created the world He did it through speaking the word, and in the beginning the word was with God and the word was God and the word became flesh and descended to the earth it had created for to redeem the object of it's grace. Christ was fully man and fully God. This is called the "hypostatic union". It is the conjunction of the immortal God and the mortal body of a man.If we are to"incarnate"our thoughts into practical application then we must ask forgiveness of Christ our mediator, have faith in his power to regenerate us and work out our salvation through faith in good works(which we are now able to do thanks to the incarnation)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Live in hope, live in holiness, live in fear. People tend to ignore our need to live in the fear of the Lord. Fear God and conduct yourself accordingly because God is a just judge, visiting the sins of the father on the third and fourth generation, but blessing to a thousand generations.Gods judgment begins with his people.(Psalm 50:16), those who do not conduct themselves rightly, those who forget God will be torn apart.

You have been ransomed at an infinite cost. Creation cost far less to create than to redeem. The renewal of the world was wrought by the self same Word that spoke it into existence. God had to give His son to buy back what was already his.

We so often set our sights on the perishable rather than the precious. We were ransomed in spite of ourselves, (not because of). We should fear to make the blood of Christ common place.When we don't understand the price of our sin, we will not appreciate Christs blood.